The 2011 NBA Playoffs might come too soon for the New York Knicks and Amare Stoudemire. Â Stoudemire has a sprained left ankle that has kept him sidelined for three straight games, and it is one of those lingering ailments that could stick around for quite a while. Â Suddenly the positivity surrounding the Knicks making the postseason might have some cold water thrown on it.
On Tuesday Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni stated that Stoudemire is still not at 100 percent.  At this point though, it could be posturing in order to keep the Boston Celtics off kilter as the 2011 NBA Playoffs approach.  The Knicks have already clinched the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, and begin a best-of-seven series against the No. 3 seeded Boston Celtics this weekend.
Keeping that in mind, it seems like it would be beneficial to rest Stoudemire as much as possible, and that there is no reason to play him in the season finale on Wednesday night. Â Risking him tweaking that ankle and possibly hurting it even more is simply not worth the momentum that a final regular season win could provide. Â It doesn't even matter that it is a game against the Celtics, because it is meaningless if they lose their star player.
Right now the Boston vs. New York series looks like the most exciting one that the East has to offer in the first round of the playoffs, and with a healthy Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks could pull off an upset. Â No matter how the first two games go, Game 3 and Game 4 will be played in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that has been waiting a number of years to cheer on a playoff team again.
Do you think Stoudemire will be ready for the postseason? Â Should the Knicks even worry about their final regular season game against the Celtics? Â Could the Knicks possibly upset Boston with a healthy Stoudemire on board?
Photo Source: Wikimedia
recommend
Facebook
Twitter
bookmark 
print
